Which NFL Rookies Are Dazzling at Summer Camp?

When has a training camp ever been more important for an NFL rookie than the training camps of 2011? Without any prior OTAs, mini-camps, or chances to sit down with their position coaches, every NFL rookie and undrafted rookie free-agent will only have the month of August to make enough of an impression on their head coach to make the final roster.

That means that there is tremendous pressure on every rookie to learn the playbook, pay attention in the film room as well as the practice-field setting, and avoid repeating the mistakes pointed out by their coaches. That might prove to be overwhelming for some rookies, but that is what training camp is all about—to separate the men from the boys.

We will take a tour around the NFL to see which rookies are off to a strong start, and dazzling their team with a solid performance during the first week of practice. In most cases though, the rookies are forced to take a back seat to the veterans, due to the short amount of practice time available for coaches to implement their playbook and schemes. On to the presentation. 

Arizona Cardinals

So far, the main buzz at the Arizona Cardinals training camp seems to be centered around three rookies: corner Patrick Peterson, running back Ryan Williams and linebacker Sam Acho.

It is interesting to note that the Cardinals decided to trade away a corner (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) and a running back (Tim Hightower), freeing up some major competition for a starting spot for the Cardinals' top-two draft picks.

Peterson is on track to open the season as a corner looking to become a major ball hawk, and as a top returner in special teams while Williams tries his best to emulate his idol Walter Payton. Acho is trying to get tips from Joey Porter on how to become a more effective pass-rusher.

Atlanta Falcons

The greatest amount of attention in Atlanta Falcons camp appears to be going to the top two players drafted on offense: wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Jacquizz Rodgers.

According to a report from Peter King of Sports Illustrated, everybody pays attention to Rodgers when he is carrying the ball. Unfortunately for Jones, he had to miss most of the practice after somebody stepped on his foot.

After King left the Falcons camp, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network arrived. According to Mayock, Jones "may already be the most impressive Falcons player in camp." Mayock said that "Jones is even more explosive off of the ball than the Falcons thought he was."

If you recall what Jones did at the scouting combines, that is high praise indeed.

Baltimore Ravens

It has been difficult for first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith to generate much buzz in training camp, as he has missed four days of practice due to a groin injury.

The player getting a chance for plenty of notice is wide receiver Torrey Smith, who is now in line to start after ex-starter Derrick Mason decided to bolt from the Ravens for the New York Jets.

Another rookie who is getting an extended look is sixth-round draft pick quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is now second-string QB, thanks to Marc Bulger's decision to retire from football. Taylor has done well so far in camp. 

Finally, the other rookie who could find himself in the starting lineup is tackle Jah Reid. The Ravens appear to have selected a solid draft class, but that is nothing new for Ozzie Newsome.  

Buffalo Bills

Marcell Dareus is everything the Buffalo Bills hoped that he would be and more. Dareus has demonstrated his power, agility and quickness, which needs to be seen to be appreciated for a man of his size. But that is not the only Bills rookie who has impressed so far. 

Aaron Williams has demonstrated a very physical style to his play at corner, jamming receivers and challenging them at the line of scrimmage. 

Kelvin Sheppard has been slowed by an injury that has limited him greatly so far in practice. Fourth-round picks Da'Norris Searcy and Chris Hairston have shown well so far, but the bottom half of the draft picks who have caused the most excitement are nose tackle Michael Jasper, corner Justin Rogers and running back Johnny White.

White demonstrates a low-to-the-ground running style and he caught my eye every time I watched him run the ball at practice. Jasper moves extremely well for a very big man (played at 440 pounds in college but is now down to 380 pounds), and Rogers expects to see time in nickel-and-dime packages and possibly some special teams return duties. The Bills are excited about the prospects of this draft class.  

Carolina Panthers

It appears to be a difficult task for any of the other Carolina Panther rookies to be noticed who aren't named Cam Newton. All eyes are on Newton to see when things will start to click. 

Newton has a tremendous burden on him to learn the plays, learn the various defensive reads that he will be facing every week, and then to also develop some type of chemistry with his receivers. 

At least Newton has Steve Smith and Greg Olsen to throw the ball to. What week in the 2011 season is he ready to take over the offense is the real question that needs to be answered, but that is for sometime down the road. 

Peter King of Sports Illustrated visited the Panthers camp, and you can find his report here. 

Chicago Bears

The way that most reports are coming out of the Chicago Bears training camp, it is almost like they never had a 2011 draft class. All you read about is how could the Bears let Olin Kreutz leave over $500,000, the terrible grass condition at Soldier Field and reviews of all the Bears' veteran free-agent signings. 

The only news that is coming out on the rookies is that first-round draft pick Gabe Carimi is slated to start out at right tackle. That is it. No other news noteworthy to share. If any of the Bears rookies start to develop an inferiority complex, who can blame them? 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have two top rookies on offense who appear to be grabbing the majority of headlines coming out of training camp: wide receiver A.J. Green and quarterback Andy Dalton. 

According to a report out of bengals.com, Andy Dalton is going to be getting five snaps in practice to every three given to backup QB Bruce Gradkowski. If that pattern continues throughout camp, the Bengals will be prepared to live and die with whatever Dalton can do this year. It could be a long year in Cincinnati as a result, but baptism by fire has worked for some quarterbacks in the past. 

But the real star so far in camp has to be A.J. Green. According to head coach Marvin Lewis, Green is an upgrade over both Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Nobody seems capable of covering Green in practice, so expect a huge year for the rookie receiver. 

Cleveland Browns

It would seem that with so many major problems ahead for the Cleveland Browns in 2011 (if you consider installing a brand-new offense and defense in just four weeks to be a major problem), that it would be easy to let the rookies watch from the sidelines while the veterans are taught the new schemes. 

Training camp reports suggests that as many as three rookies might be asked to start in Week 1: defensive tackle Phil Taylor, defensive end Jabaal Sheard and fullback Owen Marecic.

There is the possibility that wide receiver Greg Little may start later in the year, but he is still shaking off rust from one year of inactivity and he tends to drop too many passes, which is never a good thing. 

In regards to camp surprises, there is corner Buster Skrine, who might be able to see action in nickel-and-dime packages. 

Dallas Cowboys

Similar to what we wrote about the Chicago Bears, very little is being mentioned about the rookie class of the Dallas Cowboys. The news from Dallas is about getting under the salary cap, trying to keep their own free agents, rebuilding the offensive line and the secondary. No news that is newsworthy about their rookies. 

It doesn't help that two of the top three Cowboys rookies are already injured. Running back DeMarco Murray has a hamstring injury and linebacker Bruce Carter will probably open the season on the NFI (non-football injury) list.

First-round pick Tyron Smith is probably going to open up as the right tackle for Week 1—hardly the kind of dazzling news you would expect from America's team, eh? 

Denver Broncos

Turning our attention away from the Tim Tebow versus Kyle Orton drama for one second, the Denver Broncos are already having dreams of first-round pick Von Miller and DE Elvis Dumervil having many impromptu meetings at the quarterback this year.  

When Ryan Harris left Denver to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, that opened up the starting right tackle job for Orlando Franklin. 

Tight end Julius Thomas is showing off his potential and he just might be able to stick with the team. 

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions were ecstatic when defensive tackle Nick Fairley fell to them in the first round of the NFL draft. However, Fairley suffered an injury in the first week of training camp that led to surgery, and now he will miss almost a full month of valuable practice time. 

Couple that news with second-round draft pick WR Titus Young, who has not participated in Lions camp since suffering a "leg" injury last Saturday.

Granted, the Lions are a team on the rise, but whatever contribution they had hoped to receive from their first two draft choices looks to be minimal right now, at least for the early part of the season. One can only hope that after both players get healthy and become ingrained in the offense and defense schemes, that they will take on more responsibility later. 

Green Bay Packers

The largest buzz in Green Bay Packers camp has gone to WR Randall Cobb. Cobb is impressing everyone with his speed, his football intelligence and with his athleticism. Not only that, but with so many gifted wide receivers, who would be left to cover Cobb when he is inserted into the offense? 

First-round draft pick Derek Sherrod was observed as a guard when training camp opened, but he will probably be moved to tackle sometime down the road.

Now the Packers just need to focus on getting ready to defend their title.  

Houston Texans

So far the news is positive out of Houston Texans training camp regarding first-round pick J.J. Watt. Watt is doing what the Texans expected—working hard, batting down passes and showing the power and speed that he demonstrated at Wisconsin. 

One of the pleasant surprises of camp so far has been undrafted, rookie free-agent Jeff Maehl, the wide receiver out of Oregon.

Meanwhile, quarterback T.J. Yates has been the only other quarterback in camp behind Matt Schaub for the first four days, so he is getting plenty of reps and a chance to learn the offense.  

Indianapolis Colts

After Peyton Manning had his neck surgery, the last thing you would probably want to do is stick a rookie left tackle in there without the benefit of any OTAs or mini-camp to protect Manning's blind side, right? But, that is exactly what the Colts are prepared to do—so much importance will be placed on the development of first-round draft pick Anthony Castonzo. 

If the Colts do not think he is ready for Week 1, it would not be a surprise to see the Colts let Manning get over his neck surgery by missing the first couple games, while Castonzo gets his feet wet. 

The other rookie being viewed closely is running back Delone Carter, who the Colts hope can take over on short-yardage and red-zone carries. He has the body to be effective down there. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

CBSSports.com writer Pete Prisco was at a Jacksonville Jaguars practice, and absolutely raved about rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. You can read about his report here. 

Rookie wide receiver Cecil Shorts is in a battle with Jarret Dillard for the No. 3 receiver role. The combination of Gabbert to Shorts is one that could exist in Jacksonville for some time to come. 

Coach Jack Del Rio says that Shorts has some polish to him for a smaller school guy. That is a good start for any rookie, especially this year.  

Kansas City Chiefs

How many snaps will Jonathan Baldwin see in 2011? That is a topic up for debate, now that the Chiefs have landed free agent Steve Breaston. The only thing that Baldwin can try to do is to improve every day, and make the decision as hard as he can on the Chiefs coaching staff. 

Linebacker Justin Houston was a late contract-signing for the Chiefs, so he has not had much chance yet to make an impression. 

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins had a full scrimmage today, and as of now there are four rookies who seem to be generating the most hype in camp. 

Daniel Thomas will be a key figure in the Dolphins running game. Thomas and Reggie Bush will have to figure out how they are going to share the load and become a one-two force the way that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were. 

Next, we have Mike Pouncey. The first-round center will need to do a better job with snaps out of the shotgun, and proving that he can handle the tough nose-tackles in the AFC East. 

There are two other Dolphins draft picks who have made enough of an impact that they are already looking like they will make the team. Those two rookies are WR Clyde Gates and CB Jimmy Wilson. 

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Ponder has seemingly made the adjustment of being viewed as the starting quarterback to becoming the understudy to Donovan McNabb. Ponder knew that this was a possibility, but as the months dragged on in the NFL lockout, he probably wondered if he truly was going to have enough time to be able to run an NFL offense. 

The Vikings' new tight-end duo of rookie Kyle Rudolph and Visanthe Shiancoe might wind up being as good or productive as the New England Patriots duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. 

Here is a link to an article where Vikings VP Rick Spielman discusses the Vikings 2011 draft class. 

New England Patriots

Ryan Mallett throwing a pass in New England Patriots garb—I admit I had to see it to believe it, but the fact remains he will not be seeing much action this year, if any. The buzz in New England at training camp over any rookies had more to do with first-round lineman Nate Solder, than the Razorback QB. 

According to the reports out of Boston, Solder is ready to get involved at practice, as he had to sit out a week waiting for his contract to get worked out. Now he just wants to learn the speed of the NFL game and improve his techniques.

The Patriots have been signing a number of veteran free agents, and making trades for veterans, so the rookies might be left in the dust in 2011, which is understandable. As a result, there has been very little feedback out of the Patriots camp on specific rookies Ras-I Dowling, Shane Vareen and Stevan Ridley, just to name a few. At least they will have plenty of company.  

New Orleans Saints

Running back Mark Ingram figures to become a viable weapon in the New Orleans offense this year. One thing that Ingram can do is bring out Drew Brees' ball-handling skills, as the threat of Ingram running the ball will make the Saints a dangerous play-action team. That is the way that Times-Picayune writer Peter Finney sees it in this article.    

Jeff Duncan tweets that Ingram will be involved in the Saints offense early on.

Besides Ingram, Saints fans are looking forward to the contribution of Cam Jordan.

The Saints did a nice job in free agency, but due to all of the new veterans they are bringing in, the rookies are getting lost in the shuffle for now. We expect more news to surface as camp continues to roll on.  

New York Giants

The limited lack of practice time has been totally compromised now for Prince Amukamara, who fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot, just two days after signing his contract. This could very well prove to be a lost season for Amukamara. Between the injury to the first-round draft pick and the strange situation of Osi Umenyiora, few could blame the Giants for wanting to start this offseason over again.

As it stands now, the Giants will have to overcome adversity if they want to reach the playoffs in 2011. As for the rookies causing much buzz, we located a New York Post article that complimented defensive rookies Greg Jones and Tyler Sash as making positive impressions on head coach Tom Coughlin.   

New York Jets

The rookie who is apparently making the most buzz at New York Jets training camp is wide receiver Jeremy Kerley. The receiver is creating some noise due to his ability to learn the playbook fast, along with the departure of other key Jets free-agent receivers. He is in the right place at the right time and is taking reps with both the first- and second-team units.

The Jets have also been impressed with the physical play of first-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson, who will help the defensive line. Head coach Rex Ryan intends to start Wilkerson at defensive end, which says a lot about how much the Jets think about his skills and potential. Here is a link for more information about the decision to start Wilkerson. 

Oakland Raiders

Rookie Stefen Wisniewski is being thrown into the fire to see how he holds up in a training camp battle with Samson Satele to see who becomes the starting center. 

The Raiders did not have a first-round draft pick, but they did manage to draft some speed in Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa. The corners will be pupils of Rod Woodson, who now coaches the Raiders secondary. Both rookies are in good hands. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Nothing will endear a rookie offensive lineman to his teammates more than to slug it out and knock down the defensive lineman, as evidenced by rookie Danny Watkins in the picture. Philadelphia already loved him, and now the rest of the Eagles offense does as well. 

Another rookie who has impressed is Casey Matthews. According to an entry on Rotoworld, Matthews has really impressed defensive coordinator Juan Gastillo. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

One new undrafted rookie who has impressed so far is TE Weslye Saunders. He appears to be a strong fit for the Steelers.

It hasn't been as rosy for the top offensive lineman rookie, as Marcus Gilbert (hamstring) have been banged up during the first week of practice. 

Hopefully Gilbert will get back on his feet, as the Steelers could use some greater depth on the offensive line. 

San Diego Chargers

First-round draft pick Corey Liuget just signed his contract three days ago, so there hasn't been much chance yet for him to dazzle anyone.

The player who has impressed so far is QB Scott Tolzien, who has a chance to make the final roster. 

Chargers third-round WR Vincent Brown has been out with a quadriceps injury, falling behind his fellow receivers.

San Francisco 49ers

Aldon Smith, the San Francisco 49ers first-round draft pick, has been holding his own against the offense, and looks like he will be playing a role this year with the defense. 

The same can't be said for running back Kendall Hunter, who appears to be overwhelmed by the defense in practice settings. 

With Alex Smith running the offense, the exhibition games may be the only time that rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick gets on the field for a good portion of his rookie campaign. 

Seattle Seahawks

The two Seattle Seahawks rookies I have uncovered the most "noise" on, are first-round draft pick lineman James Carpenter and undrafted rookie free-agent quarterback Josh Portis. 

According to head coach Pete Carroll, Portis is exhibiting great confidence (he is 24 years old already), and said that Portis is an extremely big get for us in free agency.

Carpenter is having a solid camp and no doubt will open up as a starter on the offensive line.

St. Louis Rams

According to a report from Pro Football Weekly, the word is that the Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is high on his rookie wide receivers Greg Salas and Austin Pettis. Both of them have been able to pick up the offense fast. If they can develop good chemistry with Sam Bradford, that will only enhance their chances to make an impact this year.

Speaking of impact, the star of the camp so far has been tight end Lance Kendricks, according to a twitter from Don Banks of Sports Illustrated.  

Now, if first-round pick Robert Quinn can live up to his offensive counterparts, the Rams might have something special this year for their fans to get excited about.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At least three of the Bucs draft picks on defense appear to be headed for the starting lineup, as Adrian Clayborn, Da'Quan Bowers and Mason Foster all look like they will crack the starting lineup. 

Training camp has not been as kind to tight end Luke Stocker, who has a hip injury and will probably be laid up for at least a couple weeks. 

If the young Bucs defenders can come up with a strong season, the trio could wind up playing together for a long time, going through all of their growing pains together. 

Tennessee Titans

Have to comment that this picture sure looks like there is at least one matchup problem at the Titans training camp. Where is 33's help over the top? 

The Titans rookies have to start with Jake Locker and see what kind of progress he is making so far, as the understudy to Matt Hasselbeck. Due to the veteran signing, Locker will probably see the majority of his playing time occur in preseason games during his rookie campaign. 

LB Akeem Ayers looks solid in camp so far, and is looking like he will be a Week 1 starter.   

Washington Redskins

Defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins has caught the eye of Redskins coaches at training camp. According to Trent Williams, the word on Jenkins is that he is "learning the defense so fast, that it is almost scary."

The news for first-round pick Ryan Kerrigan isn't as good. Kerrigan hyper-extended his knee and hasn't been able to go all out since then. Missing all of this key time is crucial.

Other rookies trying to catch on are wide receivers Leonard Hankerson and Aldrick Robinson, but Hankerson has had a case of the "drops" early on.